25 Books Every Women Should Read At Least Once

Looking for books that will stay with you long after you finish them? These are the stories I think every woman should read at least once. Some will make you see the world differently, others will remind you of your own strength, and a few may stay with you for years after you turn the last page.

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A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

In A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf argues that women need both financial independence and personal space to create great literature. Drawing from her lectures at Cambridge, she explores why so many women were excluded from literary history and remains one of the most influential voices in feminist literature.

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A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

A Woman of No Importance tells the incredible true story of Virginia Hall, an American spy who became one of the Allies’ most valuable secret agents during World War II. Despite facing discrimination and having a prosthetic leg, Hall led resistance networks, sabotaged Nazi operations, and helped change the course of the war.

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Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie Crawford refuses to let society define her life. Through three marriages and years of searching for love and independence, she discovers her own voice in a moving coming-of-age story that has become a classic of American literature.

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The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

The Red Tent reimagines the biblical story of Dinah, giving a voice to a woman who is barely mentioned in the Book of Genesis. Through Dinah’s eyes, Anita Diamant brings ancient womanhood, family bonds, traditions, and resilience vividly to life in an unforgettable historical novel.

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The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

In The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath follows Esther Greenwood as she struggles with ambition, identity, and severe depression. Honest, haunting, and deeply personal, the novel remains one of the most powerful literary portrayals of mental illness and the pressures placed on young women.

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Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Set in the 1960s, Lessons in Chemistry follows brilliant chemist Elizabeth Zott as she faces sexism in science. When life takes an unexpected turn, she becomes the host of a cooking show and teaches women far more than recipes. It is a funny, heartfelt story about resilience, intelligence, and refusing to fit society’s expectations.

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Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing tells the story of Kya, a young girl who grows up alone in the North Carolina marshes after her family abandons her. As she learns to survive on her own, a local man’s death pulls her into a murder investigation. It is a beautiful mix of mystery, coming-of-age, and nature writing.

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Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Rebecca follows a young woman who marries the wealthy widower Maxim de Winter and moves into his grand estate, Manderley. There, she finds herself living in the shadow of his unforgettable first wife, Rebecca. This classic gothic novel is full of suspense, secrets, and psychological tension.

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A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns tells the unforgettable story of Mariam and Laila, two Afghan women whose lives become deeply connected during years of war and hardship. Through friendship, sacrifice, and hope, they find the strength to survive. It is a powerful novel about love, family, and resilience.

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Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Set during the American Civil War and Reconstruction, Gone with the Wind follows Scarlett O’Hara, a determined Southern woman willing to do whatever it takes to survive. As her world changes forever, she experiences love, heartbreak, and personal growth in one of the most famous historical novels ever written.

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The Women’s Room by Marilyn French

The Women’s Room follows Mira Ward as she struggles with marriage, motherhood, and the expectations placed on women in the 1950s and 1960s. As she discovers her independence, she questions traditional roles and searches for her own identity. It became one of the defining feminist novels of its time.

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The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Mists of Avalon retells the King Arthur legend through the eyes of its women, including Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar. As magic, religion, and politics shape Britain’s future, the women fight for power, love, and survival. This epic fantasy offers a fresh and unforgettable perspective on a timeless legend.

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The Gate to Women’s Country by Sheri S. Tepper

In The Gate to Women’s Country, society has been divided after civilization collapsed. Women govern peaceful communities while men live as warriors outside the walls. When young Stavia begins questioning the rules, she uncovers long-hidden secrets that could change everything. It is a thought-provoking dystopian novel about power, gender, and society.

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The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks

The L-Shaped Room follows Jane Graham, an unmarried pregnant woman who is forced to leave her family and move into a small London boarding house. There she forms unexpected friendships with other outsiders while preparing for motherhood. It is a moving story about loneliness, acceptance, and finding hope in difficult circumstances.

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The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Color Purple tells the story of Celie, an African American woman who endures years of abuse and hardship in the early 1900s American South. Through letters, friendship, and self-discovery, she slowly finds her voice and confidence. This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is a powerful story of resilience, love, and personal freedom.

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The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a dystopian future where the United States has become the Republic of Gilead, a strict society that controls every aspect of women’s lives. Through the eyes of Offred, a Handmaid forced to bear children for the ruling class, the novel explores freedom, power, and survival. It remains one of the most influential dystopian novels ever written.

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Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Memoirs of a Geisha follows Chiyo, a poor young girl who is sold to a geisha house in Kyoto before World War II. As she grows into one of Japan’s most celebrated geisha, she navigates love, rivalry, sacrifice, and ambition. It is a beautifully written historical novel about identity, resilience, and tradition.

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The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

The Diary of a Young Girl is Anne Frank’s real diary, written while she and her family hid from the Nazis during World War II. Through her honest thoughts, hopes, and fears, Anne shares what it was like growing up in hiding. Her story has become one of the world’s most powerful accounts of courage and hope.

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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn follows Francie Nolan as she grows up in a poor Brooklyn neighborhood in the early 1900s. Despite hardship, her love of books, family, and education helps shape her future. This coming-of-age classic celebrates resilience, hope, and the power of dreaming beyond your circumstances.

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Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables tells the story of Anne Shirley, an imaginative orphan who is mistakenly sent to live with an elderly brother and sister on Prince Edward Island. Her lively personality soon wins everyone over. It is a heartwarming classic about family, friendship, and finding where you belong.

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Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine follows a lonely woman whose carefully ordered life changes after she unexpectedly forms new friendships. As Eleanor confronts painful memories from her past, she slowly learns to trust others and open her heart. It is a touching story about healing, loneliness, and human connection.

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The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

The Poisonwood Bible follows the wife and four daughters of a missionary who moves his family to the Belgian Congo in 1959. As political turmoil and cultural differences challenge everything they believe, each woman must find her own path. It is a powerful story about family, faith, and colonialism.

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Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of short stories about Indian and Indian American characters searching for love, belonging, and identity. Each story explores relationships, family, and the challenges of living between two cultures. Lahiri’s thoughtful writing captures both everyday moments and deep emotions.

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Gifts from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Gifts from the Sea is a reflective nonfiction book in which Anne Morrow Lindbergh shares her thoughts on marriage, motherhood, aging, and finding peace in a busy world. Inspired by time spent at the beach, it offers timeless advice about slowing down, embracing simplicity, and living with intention.

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A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

Set during India’s Emergency in the 1970s, A Fine Balance follows four strangers whose lives become deeply connected as they struggle through poverty, injustice, and political upheaval. Their growing friendship gives them hope despite overwhelming challenges. It is a moving novel about resilience, compassion, and the strength of the human spirit.

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